Technology: The Hope for the Future

No matter what disadvantages technology may have, its benefits and relevance in today's day and age is undeniable. Here is a story of a small town girl and how technology has played an important role in her life.

Shraddha* is a bubbly and hardworking cashier at the Bharath Bookmark outlet near Tiger Circle, Manipal. She is 22 years old, a localite and she has been working in this shop for 8 months now. She told me how technology has drastically improved the way things are run nowadays. She used to initially work in a bookshop which had no computers and bills had to be handwritten. She said that the technology-deficit system had several flaws. It was difficult to keep track of the inventory and it doubled her workload. If any item went missing, they were blamed and had to pay for the loss themselves. It created unnecessary pressure and prevented her from enjoying work. She was not at satisfied with her job so she left it.

After leaving her job at that place she joined Bharath Bookmark which has a completely computerized system. All items are bar coded and all you need is a bar code reader and voila, there is your bill. It prevents any sort of tampering with rates and makes the work of the cashiers twice as faster. As it is a large store it helps keep track of their vast inventory. Corresponding with the various companies who supply the stocks has become easier through email. Also, she spoke of the recently installed CCTV cameras in the store which has prevented lots of loss by petty thefts. She further went on to tell how much technology has helped her in her in her daily life. WhatsApp and Skype she says and inextricable parts of her life. Her sister works in Chennai  and they often video chat on Skype. Shraddha also added that although technology has multiple benefits it has equal number of disadvantages too. She says it’s a fifty-fifty ratio. Technology may have made work faster and more efficient, but at the same time it means people are losing their jobs as well because machines are replacing them. But at the end of the day there is no denying how integral a part of our life technology and internet has become.

*names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals. 

The Ugly Side of Technology

Is technology really as great and revolutionary as it claims to be? Most of us only know about how drastically it as changed lives for the good, but we all tend to forget there are two sides to every coin. Upon talking to some locals in and around Udupi and Manipal I came across many whose lives have been affected negatively by technology. Here is one story which really intrigued me.

When Mr. Venugopal Rao* opened up Krishna Travels* in 1980 it was his pride and joy. After working under several others and saving enough money did he venture into opening up his own business. He worked day and night to make it a success. His initial ventures were in booking domestic air, bus and train tickets. As his business flourished he started bringing out more branches. He started with a shop near the Udupi bus stand and later opened two more shops in Udupi in the late 1990s. The late 1990s were also a time when international travel was new and he took great pride in helping people cross the seven seas. It was all jolly till the advent of technology.

Mr. Venugopal Rao’s* son, Mr. Vasant Rao* currently sits in their main shop near the Udupi KSRTC Bus stand. He is a very withdrawn person and refused to answer any questions especially pertaining to his business. After he refused to answer absolutely any question for five minutes, I thought of leaving just when I met his son, Mr. Ashish Rao*. He is the third generation Rao who is looking after the family business of Krishna Travels. His father was once a jolly man but has turned taciturn and aloof of late. He told me the whole story. After the business flourished for a couple of decades, the slow poison of technology started spreading. They had three shops all over Udupi with four counters in each to do bookings. But as technology and use of internet became more widespread their business slowly started decreasing. He also lost 70% of his business after the rise in popularity of internet bookings. From 2003 to 2011, he had to bring down the number of shops to two from here with only three counters in each shop. He said it is understandable that people would prefer to conveniently book the tickets on the internet sitting comfortably at home but it pains him to see his grandfather’s business slowly crumbling away. Due to decreasing business they have started charging extra commission on credit card usage. They also had to resort to other cost cutting methods of late. Mr. Ashish Rao* said he is doing all he can to revive the business to atleast a semblance of its former glory but has also wisely said that they must think rationally and keep other options open and not be too optimistic either.

*names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals